Allegheny County, Coraopolis roundup spawns dozens of drug arrests

Allegheny County and Coraopolis police today arrested more than 70 street-level drug dealers in a roundup resulting from an eight-month investigation.

County police Superintendent Charles Moffatt said undercover police made numerous purchases of drugs, including pills and heroin, and guns, leading to 85 arrest warrants being issued.

Those arrests began today around 5:30 a.m., he said, and shortly before 3 p.m., police had arrested 73 people. County police released a list of those arrested and the dozen people still at large.

The majority of those charged are from Coraopolis, and others are from McKees Rocks, Moon, Neville, Pittsburgh's North Side, Robinson, Stowe and Beaver and Butler Counties.

Police also seized an assault weapon, a handgun and 1.25 ounces of crack cocaine, county police said.

The superintendent said Corapolis police Chief Alan DeRusso contacted county police to request that the departments work together on the investigation. He said it doesn't appear that those arrested were part of a drug ring.

"It's been a growing problem, and he was getting a lot of complaints from the citizens of Coraopolis, so we chipped in," Superintendent Moffatt said.

Undercover vice officers, the county's narcotics unit and borough police officers were all involved in the effort. Authorities from the Allegheny County probation and parole office, Allegheny County sheriff's office, North Fayette, Moon, Port Authority and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency assisted.